Wounds frequently require debridement, or removal of undesirable tissue, to promote healing. Most debridement techniques suffer from a lack of specificity to the undesirable tissue. Therefore, healthy tissue may be removed along with the undesirable tissue, which frequently leads to longer healing times as well as discomfort and pain to the patient.
Maggot debridement therapy has long been noted for its ability to debride a wound such that undesirable tissue, such as necrotic tissue, is generally removed from the wound while leaving healthy tissue in tact. While maggot therapy may be useful for debriding a wound, it is a costly and time consuming procedure. Additionally, maggot therapy is labor intensive and is frequently objectionable to both health care providers and patients alike. Other shortcomings exist as well.